WO1997005988A1

WO1997005988A1 - Portable skate blade sharpener

Info

Publication number: WO1997005988A1
Application number: PCT/GB1996/001747
Authority: WO
Inventors: Anthony Osler Mcintyre
Original assignee: Anthony Osler Mcintyre
Priority date: 1995-08-04
Filing date: 1996-07-22
Publication date: 1997-02-20
Also published as: GB2304063A; GB9601832D0

Abstract

A portable electric skate sharpener has a motor body (25) made to accept grinding, honing and conditioning heads (26) to fit various blade types and to perform various finishing operations upon the blade. The appropriate head is fitted to the motor, the head fitted over the skate blade with the provided slot clamps (29), and the motor switched on. The head is passed up and down the blade until the desired degree of finish is achieved. The user may substitute a second or further head in order to carry the finishing process to the desired point of completeness, including the removal of burring from the blade edges. To remove burring the user may also take from the motor body where it is housed a hand operated honing device (13) which may be reinserted into the motor body when not in use. The sharpener may be stored on a stand containing a recharging device.

Description

Portable skate blade sharpener

This invention relates to a portable skate blade sharpener.

Ice skate blades need to be kept sharp for maximum skating performance. Most

professional skaters will hone or sharpen the blades of their skates after each skating

session, be they ice hockey players or figure skaters. Most amateurs have not got access to

the sophisticated electric machinery required for quality sharpening, and if they had,

constant sharpening would be an expensive exercise. The quality of sharpening available to most general skaters is also not of the highest. A number of hand operated skate sharpeners exist. These too vary in die quality of finish they produce, their ease of use, and their adaptability to a wide variety of skate blade types.

It is known that ice skate blades are hollow ground, that is, ground with a concave radius along their length. The radius of this hollow grinding should be varied with the weight of the individual, the widdi of the skate blade, the hardness of the ice, and personal preference.

It is the object of this invention to provide a skate sharpener that is portable

and easier to use than known hand operated skate sharpeners, but which provides a finish comparable with that of electric machinery.

According to d e present invention, there is provided a portable skate sharpener

comprising a motor unit having a battery operated motor and a sharpening head having a sharpening member movable on actuation of the motor to provide the required sharpening action on a skate blade, wherein the motor is operatively connected to the sharpening member to give a reciprocating motion thereto whereby in use the sharpening member is made to move back and forth along a skate blade being sharpened. By "sharpening action"

is to be understood grinding, honing, polishing, or otherwise conditioning. Preferably, the

sharpening head is readily detachable from the motor unit for replacement by a similar

head or by a head providing a different sharpening action. Thus, by using appropriate sharpening heads, it is possible to provide various degrees of finish or sharpening for a number of different skate widths and types, and allow for future compatibility with any

skate blade developments.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of a skate sharpener in accordance with the invention showing the motor unit with sharpening head attached, Figure 2 is a side view of the skate sharpener of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a sectional view through the sharpening head of the skate

sharpener of Figure 1 taken along the lines III-III and TV-IV of

Figures 4 and 5, Figure 4 is a sectional view through the sharpening head of the skate sharpener of Figure 1 taken along the lines IV-IV of Figures 3 and

5, Figure 5 is an underside view of the sharpening head of the skate sharpener

of Figure 1, Figure 6 is a front view of an alternative sharpening head,

Figure 7 is a side view of the alternative sharpening head of Figure 6,

Figure 8 is a sectional view through the alternative sharpening head of

Figure 6 taken along the line VIII-VIII of Figure 7,

Figure 9 is a sectional view through the alternative sharpening head of

Figure 6 taken along the line IX-IX of Figure 6, Figure 10 is an underside view of the alternative sharpening head of Figure 6,

Figure 11 is an end view of the removable skate edge honing device of die

skate sharpener of Figure 1,

Figure 12 is a side view of the removable skate edge honing device of Figure

11, Figure 13 is an underside view of the removable skate edge honing device of

Figure 11.

In Figures 1 to 5, a portable skate sharpener comprises a motor unit 1, with the means of attaching a variety of sharpening heads 2 and 15 (see Figures 6-10), by means of

clips 3 which may be released by springs 4 integral with the motor casing. The sharpening head is provided with a connecting piece 5 which transfers reciprocating motion, indicated

by the arrows 11 and 12 in Figure 3, from the motor to the sharpening stone 8, 18 attached to a carriage 7 slidingly mounted in the head 2. In the case of the alternative sharpening head shown in Figures 6-10, a rotational movement, indicated by arrow 23, is imparted to a

cylindrical stone 18 by means of notches 21 in the carriage support arm, as these are

engaged on each reciprocating stroke by teeth 20 in the sharpening head body 16. The stone rotates a fraction of its circumference for each stroke, upon its central shaft 19 which passes through circular holes in the reciprocating carriage arm 17.

The rotary motion of the motor is converted into reciprocating motion by means

of a gearing arrangement driving a wheel 31 with a eccentrically mounted pin 32, which in

turn is made to drive a reciprocating member 33 with means 34 of accepting the sharpening head connecting piece 5.

The motor unit also contains a battery housing, which may enclose either

replaceable batteries or a rechargeable battery unit. In the latter case there may also be provided a recharging unit in or on which the motor unit may be stored.

The shaφening heads may be provided with dressing tools which fit within their slots and allow the sharpening stone to be trimmed to a correct profile by means of the motor's battery powered action.

Heads may be provided to perform other operations upon the skate blade, whed er it be honing the edges to remove the burr produced by grinding, polishing the blade, or the like.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the shaφening stone 8 and the

carriage 7 are of a one-piece, unitary construction detachably removable from the head 6,

for replacement. This could be done, e.g., by a pushing tool or by placing a new stone end

to end wid the old stone and pushing the old stone out of the head 6 and simultaneously inserting the new stone. Preferably the stone is made of plastics material with diamond or CBN surface, e.g. applied by electroplating. In operation a person will fit the appropriate shaφening head 2,15 onto the motor

body 1. He or she will steady the skate on a suitable surface or between the knees, and may

apply to die blade water, oil or some other suitable lubricant. He or she will use a switch 14 to turn on the electric motor 1 and place the slot 9 of the shaφening head 2, 15 over the

skate blade and pass the shaφener up and down the length of the blade while applying

pressure enough to allow the shaφener to remove metal from the blade. The slot 9 on the

shaφening head 2, 15 is specially shaped to allow the shaφening stone to reach the curved ends of the skate blade. The user may fit a shaφening head widi a finer grit shaφening

stone in order to execute a finer finish on the blade. The user may fit a polishing head, and

^aPply ^a polishing compound to d e blade, in order to execute a polished finish on the blade.

At any time a user may remove from the motor body 1 where it is housed a hand operated honing device 13 whose puφose is to remove the edge burring produced by the hollow grinding of the blade. This device incoφorates a holding section widi one or more projecting pins 24, 25 that may be made to pass along the edge of the blade.

A second embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 14 is a front view of a skate shaφener in accordance with the

invention showing die motor unit with shaφening head attached, Figure 15 is a side view of the skate shaφener of Figure 14,

Figure 16 is a sectional view through the shaφening head of d e skate

shaφener of Figure 14 taken along the line XVI -XVI of Figure 17, Figure 17 is a sectional view through the shaφening head of die skate

shaφener of Figure 14 taken along the lines XVII-XVII of Figure

16. In Figures 14 to 17, a portable skate shaφener comprises a motor unit 25, with the means of attaching a variety of shaφening heads 26 (see Figures 16 and 17), by means of

clips 27 which may be released by springs 28 integral with the motor casing. The

shaφening head is provided with means 29 for gripping the skate blade so diat in use the shaφening head remains in proper alignment with the skate blade inserted between the gripping means. The gripping power may be supplied by springs 30. The motor unit is also

provided with a connecting piece 31 provided with an eccentric pin 35 engaging an

aperture in a carriage 34 slidingly mounted on an axle 32 and carrying a shaφening stone 33. Rotational motion of die motor is converted via the connecting piece 31 with an eccentric pin 35 into reciprocating motion of the carriage 34 along the axle 32 as indicated

by arrow 36 in Figure 16, and also rocking motion of the carriage 34 about the axle 32, as indicated by arrow 37 in Figure 17. The shaφening stone 33 by virtue of its rocking motion indicated by arrow 37 will hone the skate blade to a hollow radius and will maintain its curved profile over time.

The motor unit also contains a battery housing, which may enclose either

replaceable batteries or a rechargeable battery unit. In the latter case there may also be

provided a recharging unit in or on which the motor unit may be stored.

The shaφening heads may be provided with dressing tools which fit within their slots and allow d e shaφening stone to be trimmed to a correct profile by means of the

motor's battery powered action. Heads may be provided to perform other operations upon the skate blade, whed er

it be honing the edges to remove the burr produced by grinding, polishing the blade, or the

like.

In operation a person will fit the appropriate shaφening head 26 onto die motor body 25. He or she will steady the skate on a suitable surface or between the knees, and may apply to die blade water, oil or some other suitable lubricant. He or she will use a

switch 39 to turn on the electric motor, open the slot clamp 29 by means of levers 38, and

place the grips 29 of the shaφening head 26 over die skate blade, release the slot levers 38, and pass the shaφener up and down the length of the blade while applying pressure enough to allow the shaφener to remove metal from the blade. The slot clamps 29 on the

shaφening head 26 are specially shaped to allow the shaφening stone 33 to reach the curved ends of die skate blade. By virtue of the fact that the slot clamps share a common pivotal axis with the rocking motion of the shaφening stone 33, the motor unit 39 may be moved laterally to some degree in relation to the shaφening head during use wid out

disturbing the relationship of the grips 29 or the radius of the shaφening stone 33 to the skate blade, tiius ensuring a symmetrical honing action upon the blade. The user may fit a shaφening head widi a finer or coarser shaφening stone according to the initial condition of die blade and the desired degree of finish. The user may fit a polishing head, and apply a polishing compound to die blade, in order to execute a polished finish on the blade.

In a preferred embodiment of die invention the shaφening stone 33 is detachable from the carriage 34, e.g. longitudinally slideable. This could be done, e.g., by a pushing

tool or by placing a new stone end to end with the old stone and pushing the old stone out of the carriage 34 and simultaneously inserting the new stone. Preferably the stone is made

of plastics material with diamond or CBN surface, e.g. applied by electroplating.

At any time a user may remove from the motor body 25 where it is housed a hand

operated honing device 13 (see Figures 11, 12, 13) whose puφose is to remove the edge burring produced by the hollow grinding of the blade. This device incoφorates a holding

section with one or more projecting pins 24, 25 that may be made to pass along the edge of the blade.

Claims

1. A portable skate shaφener comprising a motor unit having a battery operated motor and a shaφening head having a shaφening member movable on actuation of the

motor to provide the required shaφening action on a skate blade, wherein the motor is operatively connected to the shaφening member to give a reciprocating motion thereto

whereby in use the shaφening member is made to move back and forth along a skate

blade being shaφened.

2. A portable skate shaφener according to claim 1, wherein the shaφening head is

readily detachable from the motor unit for replacement by a similar head as by a head providing a different shaφening action.

3. A portable skate shaφener according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the motor is operatively connected to the shaφening member to provide additional reciprocating motion thereto from side to side, diat is, a dual reciprocating motion.

4. A portable skate shaφener according to claim 3 wherein the shaφening member is mounted on a carriage sliceable on an axle in die shaφening head and operatively connected to the motor via a rotational connection having an eccentric pin engaging an

aperture in the carriage to provide the reciprocal axial and rocking movements thereof. 5. A portable skate shaφener according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein

the shaφening head has means for clamping a skate blade in a correct position against the

shaφening member during shaφening.

6. A portable skate shaφener as claimed in claim 10, wherein the clamping means is

pivotally mounted on the shaφening head on die axis of movement of the shaφening member, so as to provide correct alignment of the blade and shaφening member.

7. A portable skate shaφener according to claim 5 or 6, wherein die said means are adaptable to accept a variety of differing skate blade widths.

8. A portable skate shaφener according to claims 5, 6 or 7 wherein the clamping means are formed by a slot and side surfaces thereof in the shaφening head.

9. A portable skate shaφener according to any one of the preceding claims and further comprising a detachable hand operated honing device for removing edge burring produced by hollow grinding a blade.

10. A portable skate shaφener as claimed in claim 9, wherein the honing device

comprises a holding portion with one or more projecting pins for passing along the edge

of a blade. - ti ¬ ll. A portable skate shaφener according to any one of the preceding claims and

further comprising a dressing device for dressing the shaφening member on activation of

the motor.

12. A portable skate shaφener according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the shaφening member is detachable from the carriage for replacement thereof.

13. A portable skate shaφener as claimed in claim 12 wherein the shaφening member is longitudinally slideable in die carriage for detachment thereof.

14. A portable skate shaφener according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the carriage and shaφening member are formed as a one-piece unitary construction detachably removable for replacement from the shaφening head.

15. A portable skate shaφener according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the shaφening member is of plastics material with a diamond or CBN surface.